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DEL.ICIO.USHell’s Kitchen: Does Gordon Ramsey make you hurl?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“Hell’s Kitchen” returned last night on Fox with a new season of wannabe chefs ready to endure months of humiliation for a shot at a $250,000 job running British chef Gordon Ramsey’s new L.A. restaurant.
About 20 years ago, when I thought of becoming a chef, line cooks endured months of humiliation for a shot at a job paying barely above minimum wage. We had it easy compared to where our chef had apprenticed, he always told us. He’d worked in France, where they really know how to teach an aspiring chef about his place in the pecking order (as low as you can imagine).
So when Gordon started the usual string of expletives, no big surprise. Every season on Fox, he becomes more and more a caricature of himself (check out BBC America for a more restrained version).
But then, while tasting the contestants’ specialties, he grabbed a trash can and started throwing up. Granted, scallops with caviar, white chocolate and a few other implausible ingredients might make you want to barf, but on a cooking show?
Bad enough, but the cooking and contestants were just plain boring.
Did you see “Hell’s Kitchen” last night? Think Gordon was really sick to his stomach, or just ramping up his naughty boy act?
Bravo’s “Top Chef”, with another episode at 10 tonight, is much more interesting, from the cooking to the drama, with a parade of top-notch chefs as judges. So far this season, along with the usual hosts, judges have included Wylie Dufresne of New York City’s wd-50 and Rick Bayless of Chicago’s Frontera Grill. And, of course, Atlanta chef Richard Blais, who’s hung in through several elimination rounds.
Permalink | Comments (12) | Post your comment | Categories: Food
Comments
By Rodney
April 2, 2008 10:10 AM | Link to this
Last night, for the first time EVER, I watched HK.
I’ve always seen the previews and I’ve always known that it had more of a Jerry Springer flair than a Julia Child flair.
But man was I disgusted with what I saw.
YES the throwing up was a put on. Of course it was. And the screaming and swearing, for no evident reason, mind you? Just screaming and swearing for the sake of screaming and swearing.
But even then, earlier on in the show when GR was in “disguise” on the bus … really … I’m expected to believe that for that ENTIRE bus ride he didn’t say anything and the other contestants didn’t think it was odd? Not to mention that from the mid-face down he looked EXACTLY like himself and couldn’t be mistaken for anyone else?
Well … I’ll never watch again. As a matter of fact, I really only made it through the first 30 minutes or so.
What a mess.
I’m sure Top Chef (a show I’ve loved since its very first episode) takes a few “licenses” with editing to make it more interesting to the casual viewer but at its heart, it is a show about cooking. Challenging cooking - sometimes with unrealistic expectations - but cooking none the less.
GO BLAIS!
By jr
April 2, 2008 10:48 AM | Link to this
I am a fan of Ramsay’s kitchen nightmares not of hell’s kitchen. As regard the treatment on has to pay the price to learn nothing wrong in having to learn the hardway remember the kitchen is nobodies friend what does not break you only makes you stronger and believe me one needs such training because after that nothing matters other than getting the job done.
By Jamie
April 2, 2008 11:26 AM | Link to this
What’s with the cast? No one can cook; no one’s attractive; they all seem incredibly stupid and unlikable - are we supposed to WANT Gordon to endlessly berate and humiliate them? And where’s Julia? Didn’t Gordon promise her culinary school and another shot on the show? Hell’s Kitchen has entirely too much FOX in it. GET OUT!!!!!
By Irish Gordan Ramsey
April 2, 2008 11:59 AM | Link to this
I loved the moron aka 4-star general, aka Black Gordon Ramsey. What an idiot!
I challenge GR to a iron chef cookoff and also a breakdancing contest.
you can’t touch this!!!
By lindsay
April 2, 2008 12:12 PM | Link to this
Why does Hell’s Kitchen continuously choose contestants that have little to no culinary experience? I’ll stick to Top Chef!!!
By Elizabeth Lee
April 2, 2008 12:17 PM | Link to this
Jamie, I wondered where Julia was, too. I watched this episode because I expected her to be back. My husband says she’s cooking at West Egg, near Ga. Tech.
Does anyone know for sure what she’s up to, and why she’s not back? (Other than the obvious reason, maybe wanting no part of this mess.)
By MD native
April 2, 2008 1:13 PM | Link to this
I’ve watched this show since it came on the air. Sure, parts of it are put on but it is a great escape show. A friend met last year’s winner at GVR in Vegas and Rock said that GR is really a cool guy. Of course he’s a maniac on the show…sadly that sometimes is what it takes to get viewers. And if I ate that crazy concoction with the venison and the caviar I would have ralphed too. If you don’t take it too seriously, it’s a fun show! I’d love to acutally eat at HK sometime..I am sure it would be interesting to say the least!
By JMO
April 2, 2008 1:27 PM | Link to this
I prefer Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares. GR is great in that one, and he really knows his business. I watch Hell’s Kitchen, but Ramsey amps it up a bit on that one. The “chefs” are real idiots.
By Stan
April 2, 2008 2:29 PM | Link to this
MD I agree that if I had to eat that “exotic tartar” I think he called it I’d prolly puke. I was almost gagging just watching.
I only saw parts of HK last night(was flipping back and forth between that and Biggest Loser) so I only saw a total of maybe 10 minutes.
The “Black GR” seems to be an idiot!!! I hope he gets sent packing soon but that’s doubtful as he adds tension to the show, maybe enough to keep me from watching.
Love Kitchen Nightmares on BBC, just wish there were more new episodes.
Stan
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